There are three Republicans and two Democrats running for this seat.

 

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATES

 

The incumbent Representative, seeking reelection, is Suzanne Bonamici of Beaverton.  She has a long and very poor record on immigration issues, starting with her service in the State Legislature and continuing in Congress.  She is rated F- for the current Congress and D- for her career in Congress, 2012-2016, by Numbers USA.  On particular aspects of immigration in the current Congress, she is graded F- on reducing unnecessary worker visas, and also F- on reducing refugee and asylum fraud, and F- on reducing amnesty enticements.  NumbersUSA’s website report links to the particular bills on which she voted and which are the basis for her grades.

 

Bonamici was first elected to Congress in January 2012 in a special election.  She was re-elected in November 2012 and again in 2014.  She began her legislative career in the Oregon House in 2007 and moved to the Senate in 2009. While in the Oregon Legislature, in 2008 she voted against requiring proof of legal status to obtain a driver license (SB 1080).  In 2011, she voted for the bill to grant in-state tuition to illegal aliens, SB 742.

 

In the coming primary, she has one Democratic Party opponent, Shabba Woodley of Beaverton.  Mr. Woodley is a native-born Oregonian and lists his occupation as videographer.  He has a website:  http://www.woodleyforcongress.com/ covering his background and priorities but does not mention immigration.

  

REPUBLICAN PARTY CANDIDATES

 

Delinda Morgan of Gaston is a small business owner and pinot noir grape farmer.  She is a graduate of Yucapia (CA) High School.  Website: http://delindamorganforcongress.org/index.php.   Email address:  yes@delindamorganforcongress.org

 

She ran in the Republican primary in 2014, losing to Jason Yates who had a True Immigration Reformer rating from NumbersUSA.  During the primary, Tea Party Cheer posted this statement from her concerning immigration:  “Immigration reform.   Securing our borders is necessary and will protect American Citizens and jobs. Electronic verification needs to be implemented nationwide and all illegal immigrants enter a path to residency which will include learning the English language, American traditions and mandatory community service. Felonious illegal immigrants must be deported and are ineligible for American citizenship.”

 

When she ran in the 2012 General Election as the Republican candidate in Congressional District 1, she replied to the Oregon Abigail Adams questionnaire.  Questions 13 and 14 dealt with immigration, and her answers were:  13.  Do you support requiring all employers to verify employee eligibility to work in the United States? Yes.  14. Do you support spending public funds to benefit illegal immigrants?  No.

 

Brian J. Heinrich of Dundee is a Sales Representative for businesses and holds an Associate’s degree from Portland Community College.  Website: https://heinrichfororegon.org/.  His email address is heinrichfororegon@gmail.com.

 

He replied to the 2016 Abigail Adams questionnaire:  22.  Do you support requiring all employers to verify employee eligibility to work in the United States? Yes.     23.  Do you support securing the borders before any form of amnesty?  Yes.    24.  Do you support spending public funds to benefit illegal immigrants?   No.     25.  Do you support automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. when both parents are not legal residents?     No.     42.  How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering the country with them?      “Due to the dislike many in the Middle East have for the US, I would be very restrictive on allowing any refugees into this country. Since there is very little if any documentation on these refugees, there is no way to vet them for terrorism. It is a very unfortunate situation.”

 

Jonathan E. Burgess of Tigard has a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.e.burgess  but no other website was found.  His Secretary of State filing paper lists an email address: best1.business@gmail.com.  His positions on immigration are unknown.

 

 

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES

 

Greg Walden, the incumbent, seeks reelection.  He has served in Congress continuously since 1999.  NumbersUSA grades him F for recent years 2013-2016.  In earlier years, he was more supportive of immigration controls, so his all-career grade is B- . His campaign website is at: https://gregwalden.com/.  In the section called Meet Greg, some issues that he supports are listed, but there is no mention of immigration.

 

NumbersUSA’s website contains a complete record of Walden‘s votes on immigration issues from 1999 to date.  Here are some of the 2015 votes – fuller information is on the NumbersUSA website.

He voted for the FY2016 Omnibus Spending bill to increase foreign guest workers.

He voted to grant the President authority to expand immigration levels without Congress' consent via Trade Promotion Authority.

He voted for the FY2016 Omnibus Spending bill to increase refugee resettlement. 

He voted in FAVOR OF funding Executive Amnesties by opposing clean DHS Appropriations bill, H.R. 240. 

He voted in favor of Blackburn Amendment to H.R. 240 to defund Pres. Obama's DACA amnesty. 

He voted in favor of Aderholt Amendment to H.R. 240 to defund Pres. Obama's Nov. 2014 amnesty..

 

Walden’s opponent in the Republican primary is Paul J. Romero Jr. of Prineville.  Romero is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with bachelor’s degree in Workforce Education & Development.  He was in the Navy for 10 years with honorable service and is currently working as an appliance service technician, refrigeration.  

 

His website at  http://www.romero4oregon.com/ gives a detailed biography.   In the list of Issues, he includes:  “LAWFUL Immigration & Immigration Reform” and “END Sanctuary Cities”.  Email:  romero4oregon2@gmail.com

 

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATE

 

Only one Democrat is running in this district:  He is James A. Crary of Ashland.  Now retired, he formerly worked for British Petroleum and for the Legal Department of Anchorage, Alaska.  He is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University in Business Administration, and the University of San Diego where he received a doctoral degree in law.  Website: www.crary16.com.  Email: craryja16@gmail.com.

 

In the Issues section of his website, there is this statement on immigration:  “Immigration Reform -- I know that people who came here illegally technically broke the law. But I also know that the reason they came here are the same reasons my ancestors left their homes in Germany, Ireland and Scotland and came to the United States. They came so that they and their children could have a better life. That is hard to fault. If an illegal immigrant has committed a felony or multiple misdemeanors since coming to the U.S. that person should be deported. However, if an illegal immigrant has worked hard and not broken the law then I would allow that person to come out of the shadows, pay a fine and be given a 7 year path to citizenship. As far as stopping this problem from reoccurring I think we need to secure our southern border with a fence.”

 

 

 

There is no choice in either party in this District.  Only one candidate is running in the Democratic primary, and only one in the Republican primary.

 

The incumbent Representative, Earl Blumenauer, Democrat, of Portland, has been in office continuously since 1996.  He has earned a career (1996-2016) rating of F from NumbersUSA.  See the full report, which has links to every immigration-related bill that he’s voted on, for all details.  For recent years, 2013-2016, his grade is D-, and for the current Congress, 2015-2016, his grade is F-.  

 

For his whole career, he gets C on reducing visa lottery, F on reducing illegal jobs & presence and on Reducing anchor baby citizenship, F- on reducing chain migration, reducing unnecessary worker visas, reducing refugee and asylum fraud, challenging the status quo, reducing illegal immigration at borders, and F- on reducing amnesty enticements.

 

The Republican running in this primary is David W. Walker of Scappoose.  He is a family nurse practitioner who holds a master’s degree in nursing from Washington State University.  Website: http://www.humaucracy.org/home.  There was no discussion of immigration on the website.  His positions on immigration are unknown. Email: dwmwalker@hotmail.com.

 

There are 2 Democratic Party candidates and 2 Republican Party candidates running in this district.

 

REPUBLICAN PARTY CANDIDATES

 

The Republican Party candidates are Jo Rae Perkins and Art Robinson.

 

Jo Rae Perkins, of Albany is rated a True Immigration Reformer by NumbersUSA; her answers to their questionnaire are posted at https://www.numbersusa.com/candidate-comparison/candidate/2016/house/jo%....  She is one of only two Congressional candidates in Oregon with this distinction.  The other is Mark Callahan who’s running for U.S. Senate from Oregon.

 

Also, Ms. Perkins replied to the Oregon Abigail Adams questionnaire for candidates.  Here are her  answers to their questions:  22.  Do you support requiring all employers to verify employee eligibility to work in the United States?  Yes.  23.  Do you support securing the borders before any form of amnesty?  Yes.  24.  Do you support spending public funds to benefit illegal immigrants?   No.  25.  Do you support automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. when both parents are not legal residents?  No.   42.  How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering the country with them?     “We need a temporary moratorium on allowing refugees to enter the U.S. They have not been properly vetted and they may turn around and kill their captors”

 

A graduate of Oregon State University with degree in political science, Ms. Perkins works now as an Office Specialist at OSU.  Website: http://www.perkins4oregon.com/.  Email can be sent to her through the Contact link on her website.  The site has an Issues section including this statement regarding immigration:  “Immigration - Protect our borders, enforce laws, e-verify, and end sanctuary cities.  [She then includes URL for the NumbersUSA gumball demonstration of population growth as affected by large-scale immigration:] https://www.numbersusa.com/resource-article/immigration-world-poverty-an...

 

Art Robinson, of Cave Junction, has run for this office previously.  On his 2016 filing paper with Secretary of State, he gives his occupation as chemist.  He is a graduate of California Institute of Technology and holds a Doctoral degree in chemistry from University of California, San Diego.  No website was found for his campaign.  His filing paper gives email address as art@rfcre.com.  In earlier campaigns he spoke firmly against illegal immigration.  See OFIR’s report on his General Election campaign of 2014 here.

 

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATES

 

The incumbent Representative, seeking reelection, is Peter DeFazio, who has been in Congress continuously since 1987.  For the period 2015-2016 he is rated F- by NumbersUSA based on his voting record on immigration issues.  In earlier years he was more inclined to support immigration controls; thus over his whole career from 1987 to date he is graded C+.  However, for the recent years 2013-2016, he gets only a D.  You can view details of his voting record on particular bills at: https://www.numbersusa.com/content/my/congress/677/gradescoresheet/.  There are links to bill descriptions and history.

 

In 2015, he voted on 7 significant bills dealing with immigration:

Voted for the FY 2016 Omnibus Spending bill to increase foreign guest workers.

Voted against granting the President authority to expand immigration levels without Congress’ consent via Trade Promotion Authority.

Voted for the FY 2016 Omnibus Spending bill to increase refugee resettlement.

Voted against Brooks amendment to remove military amnesty from National Defense Authorization Act.

Voted in FAVOR OF funding Executive Amnesties by opposing clean DHS Appropriations bill, H.R. 240.

Voted against Blackburn Amendment to H.R. 240 to defund Pres. Obama’s DACA amnesty.

Voted against Aderholt Amendment to H.R. 240 to defund Pres. Obama’s Nov. 2014 amnesty.

 

The other Democrat running in Congressional District 4 is Joseph L. McKinney of Eugene.  He is founder and president of Oregon Roads Inc., a finance and leasing company in the car business.  No campaign website was found for him.  His filing paper with OR Secretary of State gives an email address: mcknyz@comcast.net.  His positions on immigration are unknown.

 

There are 6 candidates in this race, 4 Republicans and 2 Democrats.

 

The Republican candidates are Colm Willis, Seth Allan, Earl D. Rainey, and Ben West.  The Democrats in the race are the incumbent Representative, Kurt Schrader, and Dave McTeague.

 

REPUBLICAN PARTY CANDIDATES

 

Colm Willis, of Stayton, is an attorney and owner of Willis Law LLC.  He holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and doctoral degree from Willamette University College of Law.  He has served on the staff of the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee.  His website, at https://colmwillis.com/, in the Issues section, contains this statement:  “Immigration -- Our nation’s immigration system is broken. For years the federal government has failed to live up to its responsibility to protect our borders. In Congress, I will stand up against the irresponsible politicians who are undermining our legal immigration system. I will work to strengthen a sustainable process that is fair to both new immigrants and current U.S. citizens.”

        A webform for email is available at: https://colmwillis.com/contact-us/

 

Seth Allan, of Canby, is a “Qualified Mental Health Associate” with occupational background as a psychiatric technician, according to his filing paper with the Secretary of State.  He is a graduate of University of Oregon where he studied psychology.  He returned answers to the Oregon Abigail Adams candidate questionnaire:  22.  Do you support requiring all employers to verify employee eligibility to work in the United States?  Yes.   23.  Do you support securing the borders before any form of amnesty?   Yes.   24.  Do you support spending public funds to benefit illegal immigrants?   No.    25.  Do you support automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. when both parents are not legal residents?   No.    42.  How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering the country with them?   “I would only support admitting orphaned refugees who are too young to have been radicalized. Twelve and younger would probably be a good age demographic to consider. But we need to address our own citizens needs first. Veterans, homeless etc.” 

 

Website:  http://www.sethallan.com/.  Email available through webform at http://www.sethallan.com/contact/.  His website contains a statement on immigration in the Issues section:  “Immigration - Build a wall, increase border security, ban sanctuary cities, round up the criminal element, and cut off the welfare incentives. We need to be able to track visa overstays which account for half of those here illegally and stop those from returning who continue to abuse the visa system. None of this works unless we actually enforce our current immigration laws. Congress and the White House need to start leading on this issue.”  

  

Earl D. Rainey, of Rickreall, is a driver for Water Truck Services and has been a wildland firefighter also.  He attended Clackamas and Portland Community Colleges.  No website was found for him and his positions on immigration are unknown.  His filing paper gave email address: earldrainey@gmail.com.

 

Ben West, of Wilsonville, gives his personal and occupational background on the homepage of his website, at http://www.benwestfororegon.com/.  He holds an Associate’s degree from Portland Community College.  He has also studied theology at Portland Bible College.  His website has a statement on national security pointing out the dangers we face and calling for greater attention to this though it does not specifically mention immigration.

        Email: Ben@BenWestforOregon.com.

 

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATES

 

The incumbent Representative, Kurt Schrader, is seeking reelection.  He has been in Congress since 2009; his Career grade there, covering 2009-2016, is D, as measured by NumbersUSA based on his votes on immigration issues.  He is rated F- on reducing chain migration, F on reducing unnecessary worker visas, C- on reducing refugee and asylum fraud, C on reducing illegal jobs & presence, F- on reducing illegal immigration at borders, F- on reducing amnesty enticements, and F- on reducing illegal immigration rewards.

 

In 2015, he voted on immigration bills as follows:

Voted against the FY2016 Omnibus Spending bill to increase foreign guest workers.

Voted to grant the President authority to expand immigration levels without Congress' consent via Trade Promotion Authority.

Voted against the FY2016 Omnibus Spending bill to increase refugee resettlement.

Voted against Brooks amendment to remove military amnesty from National Defense Authorization Act.

Voted in FAVOR OF funding Executive Amnesties by opposing clean DHS Appropriations bill, H.R. 240. 

Voted against Blackburn Amendment to H.R. 240 to defund Pres. Obama's DACA amnesty. 

Voted against Aderholt Amendment to H.R. 240 to defund Pres. Obama's Nov. 2014 amnesty. 

 

Rep. Schrader’s campaign website is at http://www.kurtschrader.com/; it gives this email contact: info@kurtschrader.com.  There is no Issues section on his website and no statement on immigration.

 

The only Democrat opposing Rep. Schrader is Dave McTeague of Milwaukie.  His website at http://mcteagueforcongress.com/home  shows that he is much more tolerant of illegal immigration than Rep. Schrader is.  McTeague faults Rep. Schrader for voting in 2010 against the Dream Act in the U.S. House.  That Act giving amnesty to illegal alien minors failed to pass Congress and then President Obama granted the amnesty on his own through directives to the DHS.  McTeague also accuses Schrader of “voting with the Republicans against the Syrian refugees.”  The accusation apparently refers to Schrader’s vote against the FY2016 Omnibus Spending bill which increased refugee resettlement. In a list of brief Issue statements McTeague says:  “Immigration:  Dave McTeague supports the Dream Act, humane treatment of all people and keeping families together. Also he favors improved relations with Mexico and Central America to curtail human trafficking.”  

         McTeague’s campaign email address is:  McTeagueForCongress@comcast.net.

 

 

 

There are 13 candidates for Governor of Oregon, 6 Democrats, 2 Independent Party candidates, and 4 Republicans. Some candidates do not mention immigration on their campaign websites and did not reply to the Oregon Abigail Adams Voter Education Project survey.  In that case, we can assume the candidate lacks knowledge about immigration, is indifferent to it, or does not want to reveal his/her views on the subject, all of which are, in OFIR's opinion, major flaws in the candidate.

 

As of May 8, all Republican Party candidates for Governor except Allen Alley, both Independent Party candidates, and 4 Democratic Party candidates have replied to the Oregon Abigail Adams Voter Education Project Survey, which included these questions on immigration policy:

 

19. Do you support restricting the “emergency clause” in legislation as true emergencies?

 

22. Do you support a constitutional amendment to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in Oregon?

 

36. Do you support requiring all Oregon employers to use the federal E-Verify system to determine the employee’s work eligibility status?

 

42. How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering Oregon with them? 

 

You can see their answers by visiting the AAVEP website at: https://oregonabigailadams.wordpress.com/2016-elections/. Scroll down past the federal candidates to the section on Governor.  The candidates who replied to the questionnaire will have, in a column beside their name, the word “Answers.”  You can click on “Answers and scan the list of questions and answers for that particular candidate.  Scroll down the list of questions to see the candidate’s answers to questions no. 19, 22, 36 and 42.  Along with answers to questions, the website gives the candidate’s website and email addresses.

 

There is a Candidate Comparison Grid for governor candidates at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FSFGfJDNxTcXV0pzVFDyYtemgX6KDjU8....  You can use this to see all candidates' replies on one chart except for answers to question 42 which required a narrative reply.

 

Pierce said handling refugees used to be a private matter. He said the federal government didn’t seize control until the end of World War II.  While he said it is now a federal matter, it was his opinion that Oregon could not handle any more right now.  “The plight of the true refugees is God-awful,” Pierce said. “My heart goes out to them. But we can’t afford them.”

Alley said the plight of the refugees was close to his heart, as three of his grandparents were immigrants. “My heart bleeds for them,” he said. “But our number one priority is the safety of the people here,” he said.

 

Primary Election, May 17, 2016

Oregon House District 14, Eugene, Junction City

 

REPUBLICAN PARTY CANDIDATES

 

Candidates in the Republican primary are Aaron Cluette of Junction City and Kathy Lamburg of Eugene.  Each has a campaign website with a section on Issues, but neither website mentions immigration as a current issue.

 

Aaron Cluette has a website at http://www.cluettefororegon.org/home.html.  He is presently employed as a Business Systems Analyst, Schnitzer Steel Industries.  He is a graduate of Wayne  State University where his course of study was sociology.  His campaign email address is:  cluettefororegon@gmail.com

 

He replied to the Oregon Abigail Adams candidate questionnaire.  Here are his answers to immigration-related questions:

22.  Do you support a constitutional amendment to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in Oregon?          No

36.  Do you support requiring all Oregon employers to use the federal E-Verify system to determine the employee’s work eligibility status?          No

42.  How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering Oregon with them?          I'm against bringing in unsupported refugees. By unsupported, I mean those who do not have family or an Oregonian who is willing to open their home to a refugee. We do not have the means to house unsupported refugees when we cannot even house our own.

 

Kathy Lamburg has a website at  https://www.kathylambergforstaterep.com/.  It includes a webform for email:  https://www.kathylambergforstaterep.com/contact.html.  On her filing paper with the Oregon Secretary of State, she listed her occupation as “Teacher in private practice, Koine Greek tutor” and says she holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northwest Christian College, and a Master’s degree in theology from George Fox University.  Her positions on immigration are unknown.

 

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATES

 

The Democratic Party candidates are Julie Fahey, of Eugene, and James I. Manning, of Eugene.  Each has a campaign website with a section on Issues, but neither website mentions immigration as a current issue.  Neither candidate responded to the Oregon Abigail Adams questionnaire.

 

Julie Fahey -   Her campaign website is at http://juliefahey.org/.  On her state filing paper, she gave her occupation as Business Consultant, Co-Founder of Three Point Consulting.  She is a graduate of Notre Dame University with a major in chemistry.  Her campaign email address is   Julie@juliefahey.org

 

James I. Manning, Jr. -  He is retired from 24 years of active military service.  He says that his top priority will always be education, and that “I strive to advocate for those who need it most, and to give voice to historically under-represented communities.”  His website is at www.electjamesimanningjr.com.  He can be reached by email at  friendsofjames2016@gmail.com.

 

Primary Election, May 17, 2016

Oregon House District 23, Dallas, Harrisburg, Jefferson, Sheridan, Willamina

 

REPUBLICAN PARTY CANDIDATES

 

Candidates in the Republican primary are Mike Nearman of Independence, incumbent, and Beth Jones of Dallas.

 

Mike Nearman is serving his first term in the Legislature, having been elected in November 2014.  He is a strong opponent of illegal immigration.  He has served as a Board member of Oregonians for Immigration Reform for over 2 years.  He is currently a chief petitioner for these initiatives:  #51, Voters Must Prove Citizenship to Vote; and #52, Oregon Employment Protection Act.  In the 2015-16 sessions of the Legislature, he voted against HB 2177, universal voter registration, and against SB 932, giving Opportunity Grants for tuition to illegal aliens.

 

His campaign website is at http://nearmanfororegon.com/.   In the Issues section, it contains this statement on immigration:

“Upholding Immigration Laws -- Border security is so important for so many reasons.  Current policies leave us vulnerable to national security threats, and present overwhelming costs to our social safety nets, schools, and healthcare systems.  What’s really maddening is that not only are we failing to uphold the law, in many cases we openly flout the law through sanctuary cities and handouts to illegal aliens.”

 

He replied to the Oregon Abigail Adams Voter Education Questionnaire for candidates.  Here are the pertinent questions and answers:

22.  Do you support a constitutional amendment to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in Oregon?           Of course. I'm chief petitioner on this initiative!        

36.  Do you support requiring all Oregon employers to use the federal E-Verify system to determine the employee’s work eligibility status?         Of course. I'm chief petitioner on this initiative!         

42.  How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering Oregon with them?          I don't think this is possible -- certainly not on a large scale. I think they need to be located elsewhere in the middle east.

 

Mike Nearman can be contacted at: nearman4oregon@yahoo.com

------------------

Beth Jones is the other Republican candidate for House District 23.  She has a campaign website at: http://www.bethjoneshd23.com/.  It does not contain any mention of immigration.  

 

However, she did reply to the Oregon Abigail Adams Voter Education questionnaire for 2016 candidates.  Here are her answers to the questions relating to immigration.

22.  Do you support a constitutional amendment to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in Oregon?          Yes 36.  Do you support requiring all Oregon employers to use the federal E-Verify system to determine the employee’s work eligibility status?          Yes.  I think it’s important to recognize the limitations of e-verify, and have an appeals process when errors are made.          

42.  How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering Oregon with them?          It should be the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to investigate refugees before bringing them on our soil. As of now, those departments have stated they cannot effectively screen refugees or be confident of the intentions they have. Oregon would be wise to listen to the DHS and the FBI. I believe we're putting political correctness and emotions ahead of national security. (Public safety/national security should be the #1 priority of our government)

 

Beth Jones can be contacted at:  Contact@BethJonesHD23.com 

 

THERE ARE NO DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATES IN THIS DISTRICT

 

THERE IS ONE INDEPENDENT PARTY CANDIDATE

 

Jim Thompson (James L Thompson) is running as an Independent Party candidate.  As a Republican, he was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives for 3 terms, serving from  2009 through 2014, when he lost in the Republican Primary election that year to Mike Nearman.

 

No campaign website for him was found.  He did not reply to the Oregon Abigail Adams candidate questionnaire.  

 

While in the Legislature previously, he opposed instate tuition bills and in 2013 voted against SB 833 granting driver cards to illegal aliens.  In the 2008 election cycle, he replied to OFIR’s candidate questionnaire answering Yes to the question, “Would you be willing to introduce or support a bill that would require all employers in Oregon to use the E-Verify program?” and “Would you be willing to introduce or support a bill to repeal ORS 181,850” [a law limiting  cooperation between local and federal law enforcement agencies in immigration matters].  Also he answered Yes to the question “Would you be willing to introduce or support a bill that would require individuals registering to vote for first time to show proof of citizenship?”

 

Jim Thompson’s email address from his filing paper with OR Secretary of State: Hijim3380@yahoo.com.

 

Primary Election, May 17, 2016

Oregon House District 26, Gaston, Sherwood, Wilsonville

 

REPUBLICAN PARTY CANDIDATES

 

Candidates in the Republican primary are: John Boylston of King City, A. Richard Vial of Hillsboro, and Matt Wingard of Wilsonville.

 

John Boylston has a website at: www.boylston4oregon.com.  It has a “Vision” section which discusses some issues, but immigration is not included and is not mentioned elsewhere on the site.  He did not provide answers to the Abigail Adams candidate questionnaire.  He gives an email address through which he can be contacted:  boylston4oregon@gmail.com.  He is an attorney, a graduate of Sunset High School and the University of Southern California Law School.

 

A. Richard Vial does not have a website.  In his filing paper with the Oregon Secretary of State, he gives an email address through which he can be contacted: arv@arvial.com.  He is an attorney, a graduate of Brigham Young University and the Willamette University School of Law.  He did not provide answers to the Abigail Adams candidate questionnaire. 

 

Matt Wingard, of Wilsonville, has a website at:  http://www.mattwingard.com/.  It has an Issues section but there is no mention of immigration.  He served in the Oregon House previously.  He was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Oregon House of Representatives in 2008, then elected to a full term in November 2008, and re-elected in 2010.  In 2012, he did not seek re-election to a third term.

 

While he was serving in the House, he opposed bills on instate tuition for illegal aliens.  He responded to a candidate questionnaire sent by OFIR in 2010 saying he would be willing to introduce or support a bill that would require all employers in Oregon to use the E-Verify program, and that he also would be willing to introduce or support a bill that would require individuals registering to vote for the first time to show proof of citizenship.

 

In the current election cycle, he has not responded to the Abigail Adams questionnaire, but that site shows link to an 48-minute podcast in which Matt Wingard participates: http://www.kuik.com/washington-county-today-podcasts/32516-washington-co....

 

His website gives this email address for contact:  Matt@MattWingard.com

 

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATES

 

There are 2 Democratic Party candidates in this district.  They are:  Ray Lister and Patrick Whewell, both of Wilsonville.

 

Ray Lister has a website at: http://www.raylister.com/priorities/ which does not mention immigration. He did not reply to the Abigail Adams questionnaire for candidates.  His website gives this email address for contact:  ray@raylister.com.  An electrician by trade, he is Membership Development and Community Outreach Coordinator for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48.

 

Patrick Whewell is a software engineer, a graduate of Ohio State University in electrical and computer engineering.  No website was found for him.  His filing paper with Oregon Secretary of State gives this email address: pwhewell@gmail.com

 

He replied to the Oregon Abigail Adams candidate questionnaire as follows:  

22.  Do you support a constitutional amendment to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in Oregon?          No   36.  Do you support requiring all Oregon employers to use the federal E-Verify system to determine the employee’s work eligibility status?          Yes         

42.  How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering Oregon with them?         The same way it is done now. At a national level. The national government is better equipped to deal with a national issue. They deal with the screening and it is rather strict as it is now.

Primary Election, May 17, 2016,

Oregon House District 28, Beaverton

 

REPUBLICAN PARTY CANDIDATES

 

Candidates in the Republican primary are Gary M. Carlson of Aloha, Daniel Martin of Aloha, and Alton R. Mozingo II of Beaverton.  All three responded to the Oregon Abigail Adams questionnaire for candidates.

 

Here are their answers:

 

Gary M. Carlson

22.  Do you support a constitutional amendment to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in Oregon?          No.    We do not need a constitutional amendment, but only U.S. and Oregon citizens should be allowed to vote in Oregon elections.

36.  Do you support requiring all Oregon employers to use the federal E-Verify system to determine the employee’s work eligibility status?          No.    This is also a Federal migration problem and if the Federal government is not dealing with the problem don't put the burden on           

42.  How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering Oregon with them?          This is a Federal immigration problem. We have federal immigration laws that do regulate lawful immigration but the Federal government is refusing to enforce the laws that exist.

 

Daniel Martin

22.  Do you support a constitutional amendment to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in Oregon?          No.    I don't know but I am leaning for it.

36.  Do you support requiring all Oregon employers to use the federal E-Verify system to determine the employee’s work eligibility status?          Decline.    I don’t know.          

42.  How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering Oregon with them?          I would need to know more about the relationship between the state of Oregon and Federal Government.

          

Alton R. Mozingo II

22.  Do you support a constitutional amendment to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in Oregon?          Yes         

36.  Do you support requiring all Oregon employers to use the federal E-Verify system to determine the employee’s work eligibility status?          Yes          

42.  How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering Oregon with them?          They should not even be in the USA.

 

Website and miscellaneous information about the Republican candidates:

 

Gary Carlson is an attorney, a graduate of the University of Montana with degree in law.  No campaign website was found.  His law office has a website at:  http://carlsonlawportland.com/index.html.  Email address:  Gary@carlsonlawgroup.org

Daniel Martin is retired.  A graduate of Gresham High School, he had a career in business.  Email address:  dmarti3742@aol.com.  No campaign website was found.

Alton Mozingo is a graduate of Beaverton High School.  In the occupation box of the State filing paper, he entered:  “not working disabled”.  His filing paper with Oregon Secretary of State shows email address as yam8@yahoo.com.  No campaign website was found.

 

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATE

 

The only Democratic Party candidate in this District is the incumbent, Jeff Barker of Aloha.

 

In 2005, Rep. Jeff Barker voted against HB 2583 requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration. 

In 2008, he voted for SB 1080 requiring proof of citizenship for driver licenses. 

In 2013 he voted for HB 2787 granting in-state tuition to illegal aliens.

Also in 2013 he voted for SB 833 granting official driver cards to illegal aliens.

In 2014 he voted for HB 4054 changing the ballot title for Measure 88 to mislead voters.

In 2015 he voted for HB 2177, universal motor voter registration

In 2015 he voted for SB 932 giving Opportunity grants for college tuition to illegal aliens

 

 

 

All nations need a single, standard means of communication.  In America, that linguistic glue is English. Nothing encourages assimilation more than speaking a common language.  It would be ridiculous to have every state document printed in the nearly 140 different languages spoken in Oregon.  Unless there are compelling reasons, all official state business should be conducted in English.

 

The petition to make English the official language in Oregon was filed on April 2, 2015 as a statutory measure, requiring 88,184 verified signatures to be placed on the ballot in the November 2016 election for voters to decide whether to adopt or not.  The required 1,000 sponsorship signatures for the initiative to proceed were obtained and verification was completed on June 15, 2015.

 

The Chief Petitioners were Rep. Mike Nearman, Rep. Sal Esquivel, and Sen. Kim Thatcher. The Oregon Attorney General is empowered to write the ballot title for initiatives, and it was received on June 23, 2015.  The ballot title assigned was: “Requires government actions/communications in English (with specified exceptions), limits laws allowing non-English documents/services.” The public was given until July 8, 2015 to make comments on the ballot title.

 

The assigned ballot title was not satisfactory to the petition sponsors or to opponents of the measure. Opponents were represented by two Portland law firms.  Davis Wright Tremaine sent  objections in an 11-page letter on behalf of the ACLU, Asian and Pacific American Network of Oregon, and the Center for Intercultural Organizing.  Stoll Berne sent objections in a 7-page letter on behalf of Andrea Miller, Executive Director of CAUSA.  The result was that the Attorney General rewrote the ballot title, issuing it on July 23, 2015.  The new ballot title:  “Changes state/”subdivision” (undefined) laws regarding English/other-language use and requirements; exceptions; authorizes lawsuits.”

 

This garbled expression of the purpose and effect of the initiative was so unwieldy and misleading that initiative sponsors appealed it to the Oregon Supreme Court on August 7, 2015, causing a further delay in the initiative process. Unfortunately, the Court approved the cumbersome and non-enlightening ballot title without change on December 28, 2015.

 

Saddled with this edict, the sponsors could have no hope of success with the initiative.

 

As OFIR President Cynthia Kendoll pointed out in a press release of September 16, 2015, while the original ballot title was not as good as hoped, at least it was intelligible to the voters.  Of the new title, she said: “Nobody who reads the AG’s ballot description could possibly know that the underlying ballot proposal would make English the default language of government operations in Oregon, with common sense exceptions like protecting public health and safety, and allow Oregon to join the thirty-one other states who already have such laws on their books. … Obviously, Attorney General Rosenblum and the political class are afraid that a fair description of the initiative would result in voters passing the law.” 

 

One of the candidates in the 2016 Primary election, Dennis Richardson, candidate for Secretary of State, has brought the issue of citizens’ petitions into the campaign debate.  He addresses it on his website, saying:  “Dennis believes citizens have the right to petition their government. He’ll work to make the initiative process more transparent and citizen friendly. He’ll advocate for fair and non-partisan ballot titling by proposing a citizen’s commission on ballot titling, which would remove the process from partisan hands.”

 

The handling of citizens’ petitions is an important issue.  OFIR and other citizen groups have had problems in mounting initiatives and referenda because of apparent resistance from the Secretary of State and the Attorney General’s offices. The Secretary of State administers the process of filing the citizen measures, reviewing petition signatures, etc., and can use delays and other tactics to impede the process.  The Attorney General is empowered to write the ballot titles for initiatives and can slant the title to favor one side or the other.  (This year there are no choices within parties for the Attorney General’s office – there is only one Democrat running, Ellen Rosenblum, the incumbent, and Daniel Zene Crowe, Republican.)  Several issue-oriented groups have recently experienced difficulties as a result of unsatisfactory and slanted ballot titles. 

 

A fair and informative ballot title is essential because many voters are not knowledgeable about issues on the ballot; they depend on the words in the ballot title to inform themselves when voting.  The title is limited by law to only 15 words, so it must be carefully prepared to give a true picture of the proposal and its consequences.

 

If a group challenges the language of the title, this delays the process and reduces the time available for collecting signatures, which are due well before the election date as many thousands of signatures must be verified by the Secretary of State’s office before the measure is officially approved to go on the ballot. Then time is needed to include the measure in voter pamphlets, on ballots, etc.  If activists accept the skewed ballot title, they face severe problems of public misunderstanding and failure of the measure.   Thus incumbent Secretaries of State and Attorneys General can and do cripple the efforts of citizen activists with whom they disagree.  Candidate Richardson addresses these problems.

 

This petition would amend the Oregon Constitution to require a two-thirds supermajority for the Legislature to declare an emergency that accelerates a law’s effective date.  Signature gathering for the petition is underway, and if the required number of signatures (117,578) is collected by July 8, 2016, and validated, the Initiative will be on the ballot in the November 2016 General Election.

 

Oregon citizens registered to vote can sign this petition online at: http://nofakeemergencies.com/ until June 22.  See the petition website for further details.

 

Why the subject is important and relevant to OFIR’s mission is well-explained by Richard La Mountain, OFIR Vice-President, in his article published in the Portland Tribune in January 2015.  The article is reproduced below.  Another excellent article on the subject was written by Senator Betsy Johnson (D-Senate District 16); it was published by the Daily Astorian, May 21, 2015, and can be viewed online.

 

My View: Emergency clause abuses democracy

In Portland Tribune, Tuesday, 27 January 2015 | Written by Richard F. LaMountain

 

In Oregon’s political order, do state lawmakers recognize the people’s primacy — or game the system to impose their own?

 

Oregon’s constitution guarantees its citizens the right of referendum, to put laws passed by their Legislature to a public vote. In recent years, however, lawmakers have routinely saddled many laws with an “emergency clause,” which shields those laws from a referendum challenge and thereby nullifies the referendum right. 

 

In the legislative session beginning Feb. 2, voters should demand an end to this cynical, undemocratic practice.

 

“No act shall take effect,” stipulates Oregon’s constitution, “until ninety days from the end of the session at which the same shall have been passed, except in case of emergency; which emergency shall be declared in ... the law.” 

 

Why the wait? The main reason, writes Sen. Doug Whitsett, R-Klamath Falls, “is to provide adequate time for the public to gather sufficient signatures on petitions to refer a measure for the people to decide.” 

 

How does that process work? Within 90 days of a legislative session’s end, citizens who wish to refer a new law must collect signatures of registered voters numbering at least 4 percent of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. If they do, the law is suspended and Oregonians determine its fate at a future election, which is usually the next general election.

 

But back to that constitutional exception, the phrase “in case of emergency.” That empowers lawmakers, via an emergency clause, to declare a law so urgent that it must take effect earlier than the usual 90-plus days. If they do, Oregonians cannot seek to refer the law. 

 

Webster’s defines “emergency” as “an urgent need for assistance or relief.” In recent sessions, however, emergency clauses have been attached to bills that even the wildest imaginations could not construe as addressing true emergencies. Examples include: bills to allow unionization of workplaces via “check-off cards” (2007); to credential undocumented immigrants for in-state university tuition (2013); and even to replace the U.S. Capitol statue of Oregon pioneer Jason Lee with one of the late U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield (2014). 

 

How prevalent has been the recent use of the emergency clause? “Seventy-one percent of the bills enacted into law during the 2012 session,” writes Whitsett, “had an emergency clause attached that [made] them effective immediately upon their passage.” The clause’s frequent intent? Whitsett contends: “To block the constitutionally guaranteed right of the people to refer the new law.” 

 

Would legislators actually employ the emergency clause to such cynical end?

 

Consider Rep. Mark Johnson, R-Hood River, a supporter of the undocumented immigrant driver card law passed by the Legislature in May 2013 that was referred to and overturned by voters in last November’s election. Last March, Johnson told The Oregonian that if voters rejected the law, then (in the newspaper’s words) “lawmakers could pass the same bill next session” and add “an emergency clause to allow the law to go into effect immediately.” 

 

How to end such misuse of the emergency clause? Oregonians should pressure legislators to do this: Introduce for voters’ approval a constitutional amendment that requires any bill containing an emergency clause to receive two-thirds of the votes of the House and Senate to pass, and until its enactment, pledge to oppose any bill containing such clause unless, in their judgment, it addresses a true emergency. 

 

When used for the intent of thwarting potential referenda, the emergency clause perverts the relationship between Oregonians and the legislators they elect to represent them. We need to restore that clause to its proper, limited role in lawmaking — and the voice of the citizen, as manifested in the referendum, to its paramount place in Oregon’s representative democracy. 

 

Richard F. LaMountain, a Cedar Mill resident, served as a chief petitioner of the 2014 initiative, Measure 88, via which Oregon voters overturned the 2013 state law granting driver cards to undocumented immigrants.

 

http://portlandtribune.com/pt/10-opinion/248332-116139-my-view-emergency...

 

 

OFIR has worked since its founding in 2001 for a state law requiring proof of citizenship for voting.  Such a bill has been introduced into the Legislature in nearly every session since 2003, but has always encountered opposition, chiefly from Democratic Party members.

 

Initiative Petition 51, sponsored by Chief Petitioners James Buchal and Michael Nearman, would give citizens a direct opportunity to enact this requirement which it seems should be basic for any country or state that values its sovereignty and the integrity of its elections.  The petition has not been approved for circulation, and now the time for signature gathering for the petition is too  short for the petition to go forward.  If the petition were approved, 117,578 valid signatures by July 8, 2016 would be required to get the measure on the ballot in the November 2016 General Election.

 

Few petition campaigns can collect so many signatures in such a short time unless they are lavishly funded, with many paid signature gatherers. Petition campaigns depending chiefly on volunteer signature gatherers have little chance of success. 

 

The initiative sponsors have decided it will be necessary to cease campaigning and perhaps try again in the next election cycle.  Delays in the qualification process for the initiative are responsible for this outcome.

 

There was a delay in the process because the ballot title assigned originally by the Attorney General was unsatisfactory to both the petitioners and opponents of the measure and the assigned ballot title was appealed to the Supreme Court, which ruled modification was needed.  Not until April 8 was the Certified Ballot Title modifed by the Attorney General; it is currently:  “Amends Constitution:  Voters must register in person using specific citizenship documents: otherwise requires federal verification; registrations expire.” 

 

The status of pending initiatives is posted on the Secretary of State’s website.  The public can check here to follow the course of IP 51: http://egov.sos.state.or.us/elec/web_irr_search.record_detail?p_referenc... . 

 

It’s very easy for the Secretary of State and the Attorney General’s office to write ballot titles that adversely affect the prospects for an initiative.  Their control over the language of the ballot titles makes it possible for them to hamper or expedite the initiative according to their political views.  The ballot title is critical to the success of a measure because many voters are unfamiliar with the subject matter and depend on the ballot title alone to make their decision whether to vote Yes or No.

 

One of the candidates in the 2016 Primary election, Dennis Richardson, candidate for Secretary of State, has brought the issue of citizens’ petitions into the campaign debate.  He addresses it on his website, saying:  “Dennis believes citizens have the right to petition their government. He’ll work to make the initiative process more transparent and citizen friendly. He’ll advocate for fair and non-partisan ballot titling by proposing a citizen’s commission on ballot titling, which would remove the process from partisan hands.”

 

The handling of citizens’ petitions is an important issue.  OFIR and other citizen groups have had problems in mounting initiatives and referenda because of apparent resistance from the Secretary of State and the Attorney General’s offices.  The Secretary of State administers the process of filing the citizen measures, reviewing petition signatures, etc., and can use delays and other tactics to impede the process.  The Attorney General is empowered to write the ballot titles for initiatives and can slant the title to favor one side or the other.  (This year there are no choices within parties for the Attorney General’s office – there is only one Democrat running, Ellen Rosenblum, the incumbent, and Daniel Zene Crowe, Republican.)  Several issue-oriented groups have recently experienced difficulties as a result of unsatisfactory and slanted ballot titles.  

 

If a group challenges the language of the title, this delays the process and reduces the time available for collecting signatures, which are due well before the election date as they must be verified by the Secretary of State’s office before the measure is officially approved to go on the ballot.  Then time is needed to include the measure in voter pamphlets, on ballots, etc.  If activists accept the skewed ballot title, they face severe problems of public misunderstanding and failure of the measure.   Thus incumbent Secretaries of State and Attorneys General can and do cripple the efforts of citizen activists with whom they disagree.  Candidate Richardson addresses these problems.

 

In the 2015 session of the Oregon Legislature, a universal voter registration bill, HB 2177 was passed that makes voting by non-citizens much more likely.  OFIR opposed the bill, and several OFIR members testified against it.  The testimony of Janice Dysinger, who opposed the bill, is particularly helpful in understanding the issue: https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2015R1/Downloads/CommitteeMeetingDocume...

 

There is a national problem with voting by non-citizens that has been documented by several researchers.  The problem has become so serious that a new organization, True the Vote, has been formed to address it and other voting irregularities that damage the integrity of our elections.

 

After the initial 1,000 sponsorship signatures were gathered and the ballot title had been reviewed by the Oregon Attorney General, OFIR’s attorneys discovered what they termed a “fatal flaw” in the language of the initiative text, and IP 37 was withdrawn.

 

Subsequently, new language was written and a new initiative was filed – Initiative Petition 52, the Oregon Employment Protection Act.  The 1,000 sponsorship signatures were gathered at the Oregon State Fair in August 2015 and turned in immediately.

 

Inititative Petition 52 was filed on August 27, 2015.  It was sponsored by the same persons who had filed the earlier petition: Rep. Sal Esquivel of Medford, Rep. Mike Nearman of Dallas, and Jim Ludwick, past-president of OFIR.  Like IP 37, IP 52 calls for employers to verify the legal status of newly hired workers, using the Federal E-Verify program. 

 

The free Federal E-Verify program is available to employers for the purpose or verifying that the workers they hire are legally entitled to work in the United States.  Honest employers choose to use E-Verify, and they should not have to compete with businesses that cheat by hiring illegal labor. Charges of inaccuracy in the E-Verify program are false and usually made by those who favor illegal hiring.  A special feature has been set up in E-Verify enabling workers at any time to test their Social Security number and confirm accuracy; if error exists, the worker can correct the record.  Read more about E-Verify here and here. 

 

Inititative 52, like Initiative 37, encountered challenges by opponents.  Public comments can be made on ballot titles assigned by the Oregon Attorney General. In July 2015 the Stoll Berne law firm of Portland presented objections on behalf of CAUSA in a 7-page letter with 7 more pages of Exhibits.  The Davis Wright Tremaine firm of Portland presented letters with objections on behalf of the ACLU, the Asian and Pacific American Network of Oregon, and the Center for Intercultural Organizing, also a second set of objections on behalf of William Perry and Jeffrey Stone, “registered Oregon voters.”   Mr. Stone is Executive Director, Oregon Association of Nurseries.  William Perry may be the Bill Perry associated with the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Oregon Farm Bureau.

 

As happened with IP 51, delays from appeals of the ballot title plus slow action by state agencies dragged on so long that in the end, there was insufficient time remaining for a volunteer group with limited funds to collect the 88,184 valid signatures required before the deadline of July 8, 2016. 

 

However, with IP 52, we did win a major battle at the Oregon Supreme Court.  You can read details about the ruling in these two online news reports:

Activists win court battle on measure to restrain hiring of illegal aliens, by Lana Shadwick, 17 March 2016, in Breitbart, and Court rules Oregon attorney general must not distort language in immigration control initiative, by Jonah Bennett, 19 March 2016, in The Daily Caller.

 

We received invaluable assistance in mounting the initiative from the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) of Washington DC.  Their help and cooperation are deeply appreciated.  

 

A fair and informative ballot title is essential because many voters are not knowledgeable about E-Verify and how it helps citizen workers; they depend on the words in the ballot title to inform themselves when voting.  The title is limited by law to only 15 words, so it must be carefully prepared to give a true picture of the proposal and its consequences.

 

One of the candidates in the 2016 Primary election, Dennis Richardson, candidate for Secretary of State, has brought the issue of citizens’ petitions into the campaign debate.  He addresses it on his website, saying:  “Dennis believes citizens have the right to petition their government. He’ll work to make the initiative process more transparent and citizen friendly. He’ll advocate for fair and non-partisan ballot titling by proposing a citizen’s commission on ballot titling, which would remove the process from partisan hands.”

 

The Secretary of State administers the process of filing the citizen measures, reviewing petition signatures, etc., and can use delays and other tactics to impede the process.  The Attorney General is empowered to write the ballot titles for initiatives and can slant the title to favor one side or the other.  Several issue-oriented groups have recently experienced difficulties as a result of unsatisfactory and slanted ballot titles.  

 

In this year’s election, there are no choices within parties for the Attorney General’s office – there is only one Democrat running, Ellen Rosenblum, Democrat, incumbent, and one Republican, Daniel Zene Crowe.  Their websites:

Ellen Rosenblum: http://www.ellenrosenblum.com/

Daniel Zene Crowe: www.crowelawfirm.us

 

 

 

There are 6 candidates for Oregon Secretary of State, 2 Republicans, one Independent Party candidate, and 3 Democrats.  This is an open seat, as the elected incumbent, Kate Brown, automatically became Governor in February 2015 upon the resignation of Gov. Kitzhaber. She is now running for Governor, and her replacement as Secretary of State, Jeanne P. Atkins, who was appointed in March 2015 to succeed Brown, did not file for election to the SOS post.

 

The Republican Party candidates are Dennis Richardson of Central Point and Sid Leiken of Springfield.  The Independent Party candidate is Paul Damian Wells of Corvallis.  The three Democrats include Brad Avakian of Portland, Richard Devlin of Tualatin, and Val Hoyle of Eugene.

 

REPUBLICAN PARTY CANDIDATES

 

Dennis Richardson served 6 terms in the State Legislature as Representative from District 4 from 2003-2014.   By occupation, he is a lawyer, having graduated from Brigham Young University and its Law School.  He served as an Army combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam. 

        While serving in the House in 2005, he voted for HB 2583, a bill requiring evidence of citizenship for persons registering to vote for first time.  The bill passed the House but died in the Senate.   In 2008, he voted for SB 1080, the bill requiring proof of citizenship by driver license applicants which is still in effect today.  In March 2013, he voted for SB 2787, giving in-state tuition to illegal aliens.  In April 2013, he voted against SB 833, the bill granting official driver cards and i.d. to illegal aliens.  He was a leader in the opposition to this bill and spoke strongly against it on the floor of the House on April 30, 2013.  In Feb. 2014,  when supporters of SB 833 attempted to change the Referendum ballot title to make it more favorable to their side, Rep. Richardson actively opposed that effort and voted against the bill, H.R. 4054 which would have changed the title.

        On his campaign website he addresses a problem faced by activists attempting to pass initiatives and referenda.  He says:  “Dennis believes citizens have the right to petition their government. He’ll work to make the initiative process more transparent and citizen friendly. He’ll advocate for fair and non-partisan ballot titling by proposing a citizen’s commission on ballot titling, which would remove the process from partisan hands.”

      The handling of citizens’ petitions is an important issue.  OFIR and other citizen groups have had problems in mounting initiatives and referenda because of apparent resistance from the Secretary of State and the Attorney General’s offices.  The Secretary of State administers the process of filing the citizen measures, reviewing petition signatures, etc., and can use delays and other tactics to impede the process.  The Attorney General is empowered to write the ballot titles for initiatives and can slant the title to favor one side or the other.  (This year there are no choices within parties for the Attorney General’s office – there is only one Democrat running, Ellen Rosenblum, the incumbent, and Daniel Zene Crowe, Republican.)  Several issue-oriented groups have recently experienced difficulties as a result of unsatisfactory and slanted ballot titles.  If a group challenges the language of the title, this delays the process and reduces the time available for collecting signatures, which are due well before the election date as they must be verified by the Secretary of State’s office before the measure is officially approved to go on the ballot.  Then time is needed to include the measure in voter pamphlets, on ballots, etc.  If activists accept the skewed ballot title, they face severe problems of public misunderstanding and failure of the measure.   Thus incumbent Secretaries of State and Attorneys General can and do cripple the efforts of citizen activists with whom they disagree.  Candidate Richardson addresses this problem.

      His campaign website is at http://www.dennisrichardson.com/home.

      Email available through webform at: http://dennisrichardson.com/email-signup/

      His Facebook page shows that he supports the initiative ending abuse of the Emergency Clause that prevents citizens from obtaining referendums on a bill passed by the Legislature. https://www.facebook.com/DennisRichardsonforOregon

 

Sid Leiken, of Springfield, is the other Republican candidate for Secretary of State.  He is a Lane County Commissioner and small business owner.  He completed the junior year at Northwest Christian University, studying business.  He has an extensive record of public service as Springfield Mayor, City Council member, etc.  

      He replied to the Oregon Abigail Adams candidate questionnaire for Secretary of State candidates, with these answers: 2.  Do you support requiring proof of identity before registering to vote?  Yes.  3. Do you support an Oregon Constitutional amendment to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in Oregon?  Yes.  9. Do you support taking steps to make the initiative process more accessible to Oregonians?  Yes.  10.  Do you support restricting the "emergency clause" on legislation as true emergencies?  Yes.  12.  Do you support requiring all employers to verify citizenship for employee eligibility to work in Oregon?  “Decline, need to gather more information from the Ag business in OR.”

      His website: www.sidleiken.com.   Email:  info@sidleiken.com

 

INDEPENDENT PARTY CANDIDATE

 

Paul Damian Wells, of Corvallis, is the Independent Party candidate.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and an Associate’s degree from Portland Community College in machine manufacturing technology.  He lists his occupation as CNC machinist.  On his website at www.thekeel.org he discusses his political views but there is no mention of immigration.  His views on immigration are unknown.

      Email:  pdamianw@thekeel.org

 

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATES

 

The 3 Democratic Party candidates, Brad Avakian of Portland, Richard Devlin of Tualatin, and Val Hoyle of Eugene,  have all served in the Legislature at some time, Devlin and Hoyle recently, and Avakian served there prior to his terms as the elected Commissioner of Labor and Industries.

 

Brad Avakian was first elected to the Oregon House in 2002, serving there until elected to the Oregon Senate in 2006.  In April 2008 he was appointed by Governor Kulongoski to be Commissioner of Labor and Industries, then elected to the position in November 2008, and has served there now for nearly 8 years.  

      While in the Oregon House in 2005 he voted against HB 2583 requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. In the Senate in 2007, on SB 424, a bill to align Oregon with the federal Real ID program, he voted for the motion to substitute Minority Report for Committee Report on SB 424, which was a maneuver to defeat SB 424.  Then a motion to refer to Ways and Means carried on voice vote, and the bill died without any other vote.  In the 2008 Special Session, he voted against SB 1080 requiring proof of citizenship to obtain a driver license.  That bill passed both houses of the Legislature and became law in February 2008.

      Campaign website: http://www.bradavakian.com/.  It has an Issues section but no mention of immigration as a political issue.  The “About Brad” section contains biographical information.

      Email: webform for email at: http://www.bradavakian.com/contact/

 

Richard Devlin has been serving in the Legislature since 1997, as a Representative from 1997-2002, and as a Senator from 2003 through 2016 representing Senate District 19.  In the 2015 session he voted for SB 932 giving Opportunity Grants for tuition to illegal aliens.  He also voted Yes on HB 2177, the universal voter registration bill that makes voting by illegal aliens more likely.  In 2013 he voted for SB 833, granting official driver cards to illegal aliens.  In the same year, he voted for HB 2787, granting in-state tuition to illegal aliens.

      In 2011, he voted for SB 742 giving in-state tuition to illegal aliens, but the bill was not voted on in the House, thus did not pass.  In 2008 he voted in favor of SB 1080 calling for proof of citizenship to obtain a driver license. In 2007, on SB 424, a bill to align Oregon with the federal Real ID program, he voted for the motion to substitute Minority Report for Committee Report on SB 424, which was a maneuver to defeat SB 424.  In 2003, he voted for SB 10 granting in-state tuition to illegal aliens.

      His campaign website at http://devlinfororegon.com/ has a Priorities section but no mention of immigration was found there or elsewhere on the website.  The “About Richard” section contains biographical information.

      Email:  friendsofricharddevlin@gmail.com

 

Val Hoyle has been a State Representative since 2009, representing House District 14.  She was appointed to the House to fill the unexpired term of Chris Edwards; then she was elected in 2010 and following years. 

      She was named Assistant House Democratic Leader for the 2011 session, then became House Democratic Leader for the 2013 session and also for the 2015 session.  In the 2015 session, besides being House Democratic Leader, she was Chair of the House Rules Committee, and a member of these committees:  Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Capital Construction; Joint Committee on Legislative Administration.  Thus she has had an influential role in the management of bills.

      Her record on immigration issues is poor.  In the 2013 Legislative session, she voted to make SB 833, granting driver cards for illegal aliens, a special order of business, enabling fast-tracking of the bill through the House without a House hearing.  The next day, April 30, the bill was voted on in the House, and she voted Aye to driver cards for illegal aliens.  Also, in 2013, she was a sponsor of HB 2787, providing instate tuition for illegal aliens, and she voted for it.   

      In 2014, she almost certainly was a decisive voice in rewriting the ballot title of Measure 88; this measure (88) was the veto referendum on SB 833.  The bill calling for a rewrite, HB 4054, was pre-session introduced at the request of the House Interim Committee on Rules.  Rep. Hoyle was Chair of the House Rules Committee.  She voted for the bill when it came before the House which passed it on Feb. 27.  Because there was widespread disapproval of this attempt to hamper public understanding of the bill, the bill was not voted on by the Senate, and it died.   

      One of the first bills heard in the House in 2015 was HB 2177, automatic, universal voter registration which increases chances for illegal alien voting.  It was also fast-tracked, with a public hearing on Feb. 2, work session on Feb. 4, Rules suspended on Feb.18 and House vote on Feb. 20.  Rep. Hoyle voted Aye.  Fast tracking continued in the Senate which held no hearing, and the bill became law on March 16.  

      Campaign website: http://www.valhoyle.com/.  There is an issues section but no mention of immigration was found on the website nor any concern about the effects of illegal immigration on citizens and the country.

      Email: val@valhoyle.com

 

There are 9 candidates for U.S. Senate, including 4 Republicans, 2 Independent Party members, and 2 Democrats besides the incumbent Senator, Ron Wyden, who seeks reelection.

 

Here is a brief summary of the candidates’ positions.  More complete information is below. 

 

Among the Republicans, Mark Callahan and Faye Stewart have announced detailed pro-enforcement positions on immigration.  The other two Republicans, Sam Carpenter and Dan Laschober have made general statements indicating support for immigration controls.  Of the two Independent Party candidates, Marvin Sannes favors amnesty and benefits to illegal aliens while Steven Reynolds recommends securing the border along with “a real path to citizenship for those undocumented immigrants already [here].”  Of the two Democrats challenging Sen. Wyden, Paul Weaver strongly opposes amnesty and Kevin Stine opposes international free trade treaties although he doesn’t articulate the connection between them and increases in foreign workers.  Sen. Ron Wyden is rated D- by NumbersUSA based on his votes on immigration issues during his career in Congress.

 

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES

 

Mark Callahan of Portland is a graduate of Oregon State University with degree in Business Administration/MIS.  His occupation is Information Technology Consultant.  He is a member of the Board of Oregonians for Immigration Reform.  Here are his replies to the Oregon Abigail Adams candidate questionnaire:  22.  Do you support requiring all employers to verify employee eligibility to work in the United States?   Yes.   23.  Do you support securing the borders before any form of amnesty?  Yes.   24.  Do you support spending public funds to benefit illegal immigrants?   No.   25.  Do you support automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. when both parents are not legal residents?   No.   42.  How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering the country with them?   “Background checks, before admitting war refugees from entering the country, in order to prevent potential terrorists from entering the country with them.”

        Mark Callahan also responded to the NumbersUSA questionnaire for candidates and is rated by NumbersUSA as a True Immigration Reformer.  See his report at:  https://www.numbersusa.com/candidate-comparison/candidate/2016/senate/ma...

 

Callahan’s campaign website at http://callahanfororegon.com/ contains this statement on immigration in the Issues section:  “Immigration: Enforce Existing Laws; Secure the Borders; Work on Stopping Illegal Immigration; Say No to Amnesty:  The issue of illegal immigration has been a major topic for many years in America. I personally worked with, and strongly supported, those that were against Measure 88 in the November 2014 election to stop driver’s licenses from being given to illegal immigrants. As the election results indicated, most of Oregon, by strong majority margins in 35 of the 36 counties agreed that driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants was not a good idea, and Measure 88 was voted down.  As we are a nation of laws, I believe we should enforce our current immigration laws. With our current high rate of unemployment, and American families already struggling to make ends meet in our troubled economy, it makes no sense to add millions of those here illegally to the work force. If elected, I will fight to do what is best for American families, while keeping us safe by advocating for complete border security. We must get our arms around this issue before irreparable damage is done.”

          Email address: Mark@CallahanForOregon.com.

 

Faye Stewart of Cottage Grove is a Lane County Commissioner.  He attended Oregon State University through the junior year studying business management and has worked in the business field.  He replied to the Oregon Abigail Adams candidate questionnaire:  22.  Do you support requiring all employers to verify employee eligibility to work in the United States?  Yes.   23.  Do you support securing the borders before any form of amnesty?  Yes.   24.  Do you support spending public funds to benefit illegal immigrants?  No.   25.  Do you support automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. when both parents are not legal residents?  No.   42.  How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering the country with them?  “We should provide financial support for nations in the region, like Jordan, who are willing to house the refugees while we complete the mission to destroy ISIS. There is no infrastructure in place to properly vet refuges from Syria and other war torn nations. Until we can safely vet refuges we should not accept any new refuges from nations like Syria.”

        Faye Stewart’s campaign website is at http://fayestewart.us/.  It contains a statement on border security relating to immigration:  “Border Security – “America was founded by immigrants. We have always deeply believed that this nation should be a place where immigrants may lawfully come, assimilate into our society and build a future for themselves and their families. We must secure our borders, update technology to identify and track those here illegally, and create a fair, simple system for those who wish legally immigrate.”

        Email address:  info@fayestewart.us.

 

Sam Carpenter of Bend is CEO and owner of Centratel telephone answering service.  There is some information on his immigration positions in the candidate comparison section of the NumbersUSA website:  https://www.numbersusa.com/candidate-comparison/candidate/2016/senate/sa....  Carpenter is rated Yes for Opposing amnesty, implementing interior enforcement, assisting local police, and securing the border.  He’s rated No for reducing legal immigration.  

        His campaign website is at http://www.carpenterforsenate.com/.  It includes a statement on immigration in the Issues section:  “Illegal immigration is out of control.  The problem? Many elected officials at the federal, state, and local level refuse to enforce our laws.  The result is undue strain on our social services systems, and even the specter of serious national security threats on American soil, not to mention the impact on jobs.  Ours is a nation built by immigrants — legal immigrants. I’m for legal immigration — at levels currently allowed by law.  Let’s secure our southern border and enforce the laws currently on the books and let’s put Oregon first.” 

        Email address:  info@carpenterforsenate.com

 

Daniel Laschober of Wilsonville is a self-employed software and general finance consultant.  He holds a Bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in finance and international marketing from Northwestern University.  He presents a full account of his personal and extensive business background on his website at www.laschober2016.com.  It also contains a list of pledges on various subjects, the first being:  “I Pledge… to protect the United States from external threats. Without secure borders there is no sovereign nation and there is no liberty.”  No further information on his positions on immigration was found.  

        Email address: dan@laschober2016.com

 

INDEPENDENT PARTY CANDIDATES

 

Marvin Sannes, of Salem, is self-employed, owning and managing real estate.  He has also had experience as a lobbyist.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Portland State University.  He replied to the Oregon Abigail Adams candidate questionnaire with these answers:   22. Do you support requiring all employers to verify employee eligibility to work in the United States?  No.  23.  Do you support securing the borders before any form of amnesty?  No.  24.  Do you support spending public funds to benefit illegal immigrants?  Yes.  25.  Do you support automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. when both parents are not legal residents? “Decline.  It is the law.”  42.  How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering the country with them?  “Less than 60 Americans have been killed by terrorist acts since 2001, the war on terror is a fraud. From the U. of Maryland International Data Base on Terror. 28,000+ American bombs dropped on Islamic countries in 2015 - from the Council on Foreign Relations.”

His website - https://www.facebook.com/Elect.MarvinSannes.US.House/.  

        Email:  marvinsannes@msn.com

 

Steven C. Reynolds (“Cody”) of Portland is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with degree in information systems.  He has a website at www.codyfororegon.com which contains this statement on immigration:  “Our Borders - Our immigration policy is broken. We as a nation must first secure our borders, and then create a real path to citizenship for those undocumented immigrants already within them.”

        Email available on webform at: http://codyfororegon.ruck.us/?target=_blank

 

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATES

 

Kevin H. Stine of Medford is a City Councilor in Medford.  He hold an Associate’s degree in applied sciences/electronics from Thomas Edison State College, and he served 9 years in the US Navy, 2004-2013.  His campaign website is at http://www.kevinstine.org/ .  While it does not contain a statement specifically on immigration, his statement on international trade policy is relevant, as trade deals have massive impacts on entry of foreign workers.  Stine says:  “Free trade is not free, as the cost of these agreements have been an enormous detriment to the middle class in our country. The Economic Policy Institute reports that Oregon has lost or displaced more jobs on a percentage basis, than any other due to China entering the WTO. More of these trade deals will further outsource our jobs.”

        Email address: info@kevinstine.com

 

Paul B. Weaver  of Toledo is retired from his occupation as locomotive engineer.  He’s a graduate of Eastern Washington University with degree in business administration.  He replied to the Oregon Abigail Adams candidate questionnaire:  22.  Do you support requiring all employers to verify employee eligibility to work in the United States?  Yes.  23.  Do you support securing the borders before any form of amnesty?  Yes.  24.  Do you support spending public funds to benefit illegal immigrants?   No.   25.  Do you support automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. when both parents are not legal residents?  No.   42. How would you propose screening war refugees to prevent potential terrorists from entering the country with them?   “Stop all immigration. Period. Set up refugee camps closer to their home country so they can be repatriated when the war is resolved.”

        His website at http://www.paulweaverforussenate.com/ contains this issue statement on immigration:  “AMNESTY - We should close the border and suspend all immigration immediately!  I will never vote to give automatic citizenship or voting rights to illegal aliens.  No matter what the Obama Administration says, we have about 20 million unemployed that need jobs!  I believe we should put our American citizens first!   There is no data base with which to vet the Syrian refugees, therefore we should not allow any into the United States! Our policies should put American safety and security first.”

        Email address: pbweaver@peak.org

 

Ron Wyden of Portland, the incumbent Senator, seeks reelection.  He has been in Congress for 35 years, as a Senator since 1996 and as a Representative, 1981-1996.  His immigration-reduction report card compiled by NumbersUSA gives him an overall career grade of D-.  On particular immigration subjects, he is graded F- on reducing chain migration, D+ on reducing the visa lottery, F on reducing unnecessary worker visas, C- on reducing refugee and asylum fraud, F- on challenging the status quo, D- on reducing illegal jobs and presence; C on reducing illegal immigration at borders, F- on reducing amnesty enticements, and F- on reducing illegal immigration rewards.  See his immigration reduction report card at:  https://www.numbersusa.com/content/print/my/congress/667/printreportcard//.  See his career voting record at: https://www.numbersusa.com/content/my/congress/667/gradescoresheet/#tabs....  There are links to the particular bills he voted on.

        Senator Wyden’s campaign website is at: https://www.standtallforamerica.com/.

        Email through webform at:  https://www.standtallforamerica.com/contact/

 

According to Open Secrets, as of April 14, Sen. Wyden has accumulated $9,571,127 in his campaign treasury, an enormous sum, more than twice as much as all other Oregon Congressional candidates put together including U.S. House and Senate candidates in all three parties.  This raises questions as to whose interests the candidate is serving.  That most of the high-figure campaign chests are associated with long incumbency raises further questions.  When we see the way Congress has failed in recent years to correct major problems with immigration, it certainly appears that money has played a role in long incumbency and not a beneficial one for the public.